


Bittersweet Moments

by samanthaswishes



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Other, Parent Melinda May, Parent Phil Coulson, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26904976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanthaswishes/pseuds/samanthaswishes
Summary: A take on some missing scenes throughout Agents of SHIELD featuring the best mother-daughter duo: Melinda May and Daisy Johnson.*Daisy will be referred to as Skye during the chapters that take place during seasons 1 and 2*
Relationships: Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> May's thoughts upon learning Skye's origin in 1x12 "Seeds".

Melinda May swore that after her experience in Bahrain in 2007, she wouldn't let herself get attached to anyone, or rather, she didn't want others to get attached to her. People were better off without her in their life. Agent May felt that if she distanced herself from others, it would save the people she cared about from getting hurt.

She had been pretty successful for the past six years. She had divorced her ex-husband and worked alone in her cubicle. That was until Phil Coulson, a long-time friend of hers, brought her back into the field. He had promised her that all she had to do was fly the plane. However, that didn't last long as she felt the team was safer if she went out in the field as well.

On their team, there were four other agents. Well, one field agent, a specialist like herself, two scientists who were much smarter than people their age, and a young hacker who wasn't even apart of the agency.

It was the young hacker, Skye, that had somehow found a place in May's heart. Even though she wouldn't admit it, May could see herself in Skye. Skye is very much like how May was before Bahrain: warm, fun-loving, and loyal. Sure, she was still very loyal, but she became very stoic and serious and came off as a little cold. However, there was something more to Skye that May could see that maybe the others couldn't. Skye was lost. It wasn't too long ago that Skye had revealed that she was looking for her parents, and the only link she had to them was a redacted SHIELD document.

May would be lying if she said she didn't feel bad for the string of words she threw at Skye during their mission with Mike Peterson. She and Coulson agreed to hide the truth about Skye. Though they didn't know what had happened exactly, they knew a female agent by the name of Linda Avery had been killed trying to protect her. Skye had been asking her about it since Coulson had told Skye that May was in on it. She still remembered Skye's look of shock when she had told her that if she couldn't set aside her personal matters, she might as well leave. The guilt really set in when she had found out that she had made Skye cry. May had only said those things to keep herself from spilling the truth. 

A liking towards the girl finally set in after Skye had fully proved herself to be loyal to the team. May knew that Skye wouldn't be able to find out where Raina had taken Coulson with all the agents on the plane, looking over her shoulder. When Agent Victoria Hand asked for May's opinion on Skye's presence on the BUS, May had vouched for Skye to be taken off. Though the others, Skye included, were confused and a little betrayed by the decision, they all soon found out May had kicked Skye off the plane, knowing she'd work best on her own without SHIELD Agents watching her every move.

Due to seeing how much Skye had improved in training and proved her loyalty, May threw herself into looking into the young hacker's past. If there was one thing May knew how to do, it was making sure the people she cared about were, not only safe, but were in the right mindset. She would make sure Coulson got his mind off of the false memories SHIELD put in him as well as making sure Skye wasn't as lost as she was.

Together, while Skye, Ward, and Fitzsimmons were investigating a case at the Science and Technology division of the SHIELD Academy, May and Coulson went to Mexico where sources found that the partner of Agent Avery, Agent Lumley, was still alive and was currently hiding out in Mexico. 

They ended up chasing him into an alley. Even with the twenty-three years that he was out of the field, Agent Lumley put up a good fight against Melinda May. He had scaled up a building, trying to escape the two agents chasing him down. Luckily, Coulson's convertible, in which he named Lola, had the ability to fly and hover. 

"I'm Agent Coulson with SHIELD," Coulson had told the former agent.

Lumley had let his guard down a little that moment. "Oh, thank god," he sighed. "It's about the baby girl, isn't it?"

That definitely intrigued May. They hadn't even said anything to Lumley, and he already knew they were talking about Skye. That didn't seem good. What horrible thing had happened in Skye's past?

* * *

Coulson and May brought Lumley onto the BUS. They offered Lumley a seat, and he happily took it. It was then that he noticed the files and photos that were laid on the coffee table. He gave an exasperated sigh. Whatever happened to Skye back then must've been what eventually lead him to leave SHIELD. He probably wanted to forget it all. Lumley then placed a small capsule on the coffee table.

Coulson picked it up, examining it. "Cyanide?" he questioned. "What did you think we were going to do to you?"

Lumley sighed once more. "What they did to her." He placed the photo of Agent Avery cover in blood back on the table.

"Agent Linda Avery?"

"She wasn't the first one to die." May looked up at the former agent. She was intrigued. Coulson, equally interested, leaned in closer, ready to listen to Lumley's story. They were going to get to the bottom of Skye's past. They weren't going to allow the girl they both had grown fond of to continue to live her life feeling lost. "We headed into the Hunan province in China. A senior agent called in an 0-8-4. 

"An object of unknown origin. We've dealt with those before," Coulson added, remembering the first mission in which the team fully became a team. 

"He said the entire village had died trying to protect this one," Lumley explained. "Avery and I were fresh out of the Academy, and there were five of us just running back end until we lost communication with the first team. We went searching. We found the senior agent under a bridge. He... he managed to escape with a gunshot wound to the neck, but he bled out. He was still holding onto the 0-8-4." Lumley scoffed, still shocked by the image to this day. "Poor thing was covered in blood. We thought she was dead too, but she... she was just asleep in a dead agent's arms."

May's breath got caught in her throat. Her and Coulson gave each other looks of shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. How is that even possible? May asked herself. How is it possible that Skye could be...

"Wait... the baby?" Coulson questioned, trying to get some clarification. "The girl was the 0-8-4?"

"If she had powers or something, we never witnessed it." Coulson and May paused, allowing Lumley to continue his story. They were going to hear the end of it. "The five of us helicoptered the kid off, headed home. After we landed, we started getting crossed off."

"Executed?"

"Tortured," Lumley answered. "Heads bashed it, and when it came down to Avery and I, we realized the only way to keep out people and the kid from being hunted was to erase her from existence." Lumley shook his head, remembering what happened all those years ago. "Avery was smart. "She used the lead agent's credentials to fake a level eight clearance. She set up a nearly invisible protocol. The foster system was ordered to move the child around every few months."

Things began to fall into place for May. Even though she hadn't really liked Skye in the beginning, she never fully understood why no family had wanted to adopt Skye. She was just an innocent kid who needed a home. It now made sense. The part that hit May hard was that if Skye had aged out of the system and was moved around every few months, just how many foster homes had she had? How many families did Skye put her faith in only to be thrown away? 

"But they still got to Avery," Phil finished for him.

"She died protecting that secret."

"And you left town."

"Oh, I left everything," Lumley exasperated. "I mean, whoever killed that kid's family and all those agents... was a force to be reckoned with."

May couldn't really keep to herself. "That girl-"

"Don't tell me a damn thing about her. I don't want to know. You understand? " Lumley interrupted. "Just tell me... is she okay?" May could see that even though he didn't want to know much about Skye's current life, Lumley did care about the kid he helped save, and he wanted to know if she was doing alright.

"She's safe," Coulson replied.

"Then maybe it was all worth it." May did agree with it. Because of the protocol Agent Avery set up, Skye has lived this long. However, May still was not completely okay with the cost it had on Skye. Even though she hadn't said much about her past, May could see just how the foster system affected Skye and the way she sees the world. "You taking me in?" Lumley asked.

"Yeah." It was protocol.

"No," Coulson interjected. "I'm not sure SHIELD is the safest place for you right now. We'll get in the air and drop you somewhere along the route."

"Thank you." Coulson nodded as he and May walked off. "Bit of advice," Lumley added. "Stop digging and stay away from that girl cause wherever she goes... death follows."

May's heart clenched. Skye had been with them for a few months now, and nothing terrible had happened. At least, not the kind that seemed like they were being followed to be murdered. What was out there that was after all those agents? What was out there that was after Skye? May remembered Lumley saying that Skye had powers. What kind of powers did she have? Did Skye really have powers? Lumley did say that they didn't see anything, so were they sure that Skye was the one with powers? What was Skye?

May turned to Coulson as they walked off. "It's best no one knows about this, for Skye's safety and for ours." May wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. They were keeping so many secrets from Skye, but they also wanted to protect her. "You can never tell her."

She left Coulson alone as she made her way to the cockpit. As she flew the plane, she couldn't help but replay Lumley's story in her mind. A part of her wanted to tell Skye everything. Help Skye find the answers she's been looking for. May kind of felt like she owed it to her. Skye really did deserve to know the truth, but they couldn't really risk it. Skye's past had lives on the line. May knew one thing for sure: her, Phil, and the rest of the team wouldn't let anything happen to her.

_We've got you, Skye. We will protect you from whatever is after you. I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during the middle/end of 1x13 "T.R.A.C.K.S."

The mission hadn't gone exactly to plan. The plan was to track a package that was being delivered to Ian Quinn on a train through the Italian countryside. They hadn't expected things on the train to go so bad. Coulson and Ward had been through a lot, trying to figure out what was even happening to begin with. May had been separated as well. She had been through some torture, but there wasn't really anything Melinda May couldn't handle. She was able to escape, take down the bad guys, and kill Russo before he could kill Coulson and Ward all on her own. The only thing that had May on edge was that Skye, Fitz, and Simmons were still on the train. The three youngest and least trained members of their team were on their own where Quinn's guys knew where they were. Deep down, she felt like something bad was going to happen. She was supposed to protect them, but she had to keep faith that they would be okay.

May sat on the lab table as Coulson finished up patching up her wounds. "It wasn't supposed to be a combat op," Coulson said. She could tell that Coulson was trying to hide his worry for the three kids he had grown to love and be extremely protective of, but he wasn't really doing a great job.

"They'll be fine," May said, trying to ease him a bit. "They can handle themselves." She was also saying that to ease herself. Sure, Skye had been training with Ward, but she wasn't exactly field-ready quite yet. May just had to tell herself that the three of them would be fine. They just had to be. She would be upset with herself if they weren't.

"Did he get you anywhere else?" Coulson asked, wanting to make sure his friend wasn't too hurt. May just scoffed, knowing that Russo had no chance against her. Coulson gave her a warm smile in return. The two agents had been friends for a really long time. Maybe there had been something more between the two of them in the past, but that was just it. It was in the past. Life moves on. Especially given the current situation between her and Ward. Maybe someday though.

"We need to reroute the plane," Ward said, making his presence known to the two senior agents. May wondered if he had heard Coulson and her conversation. "We just got word from SHIELD that the train stopped suddenly in the Italian countryside."

"What? Why?" Coulson, now on alert, questioned.

Ward shrugged his shoulders. "We'll find out soon. I'll set the coordinates. Touchdown in ten."

May began to get off from the lap table. "I'll come help." She was the pilot after all. She had to do something. She had to do something to make sure Skye, Fitz, and Simmons were alright.

"I got it," Ward replied harshly. May was shocked by this sudden outburst. Sure, they had slept together, but there wasn't really anything between them, right? She glanced back at Coulson, the only other person on the plane who knew about their status. He gave her a look before leaving her alone in the lab. Their conversation from not long ago echoed in her mind.

_I trust you know what you're doing, and if it's a problem..._

_I'll end it._

May shook her head, needing to get her head back on the mission and the missing members of their team.

* * *

May, Coulson, and Ward eventually found where the train had stopped. "Parked here fifteen minutes ago," Ward assessed. "Agents on the ground have no idea why."

"Any sign of Fitzsimmons and Skye?" Coulson asked. 

"No."

May's breath was almost caught in her throat. _Where were they?_ The three agents drew their attention to one of the train cars towards the back, which was where Skye and Fitz were supposed to be. In the window, it looked like the dirt had been wiped away, so someone could see through it. Without even thinking, May, Coulson, and Ward made their way to the train car.

They eventually found a way into the car. With their night-night guns drawn, they scanned the area. The car seemed empty, but it wasn't hard to tell that something rough had happened here. To their right, they saw the computers that Skye and Fitz were using. They were turned off as they had bullet shots through them. 

May couldn't really explain the way she felt about the three, young members of their team. Fitzsimmons, she didn't mind too much, and Skye had been an annoyance to her for a while. However, as time went on and they really began to function as a team, May found herself having a soft spot for the three, especially towards Skye after learning about her past. She didn't show it, but she was truly terrified for them.

Suddenly, towards the front of the car, they heard something clattering on the ground. 

"Everyone, get down!" Simmons suddenly sprung up, night-night gun in hand. The three agents had barely missed the dendrotoxin-filled bullets.

"Simmons, stop!" Coulson shouted. 

"Wha?" Simmons clearly looked confused. The three stayed silent as Simmons began to calm herself from her hyperventilation. Once she got her bearings, she asked, "Where are Fitz and Skye?"

May thought she could feel her heart stop beating. She was glad they had found Simmons. Though a bit frazzled, she seemed to be okay. However, where could have Skye and Fitz gone? May prayed the two didn't get themselves in trouble. Though he was known for being a millionaire, Ian Quinn could be considered a dangerous man. May prayed that nothing bad had happened to them.

"Before you got knocked out, were they here?" Coulson asked.

Jemma nodded. "They were already fighting some people, but they seemed to get a handle on it." That gave May some relief knowing that they were able to fight off some bad guys. "I ran in as one of them started the grenade. I didn't want them to get hurt, so I pulled him close to me. I guess I'm lucky it was only a dendrotoxin."

"We're glad you're okay, Jemma," Coulson said. "Let's go. We need to find them before Ian Quinn does. Who knows what he'll do to them."

* * *

Now with Simmons, the agents went off towards the villa. Several guards stood outside the huge mansion; however, May and Ward took them out with ease. Suddenly, they heard something that sounded like a fight coming from one of the rooms where the window was open. _Please Skye, Fitz. Please don't be in there,_ May thought to herself. It was surprising to see a man be tossed out of the window and land right next to a car. It was then that they saw Fitz come out from under the vehicle, and May became a little more relaxed, knowing Fitz was alright, but she still feared for Skye's safety.

The driver drew his gun on Fitz, but Ward got to him just in time, knocking out the driver. Fitz seemed pretty frazzled as Jemma went up to hug him. "Where's Skye?" Coulson asked, assessing the situation.

Fitz hesitantly pointed to the villa. "S-s-she didn't want to let Quinn get away."

 _Oh no._ Once again, May's breath got caught in her throat. This kid that she had grown to love over the past few months was alone in a very dangerous situation. Coulson and her shared knowing looks. They both rushed towards the entrance of the villa. Ward soon took the lead as he burst through the front doors, night-night guns blazing. He knocked out several guards as Coulson drew his gun to the side of Quinn's head.

"Where's Skye?" Coulson demanded.

May stood guard, making sure Coulson could interrogate him. 

"You know, Agent Coulson," Ian Quinn began, showing that he was not bothered by having a gun by his head. "It's dangerous... to keep sending her in like that, all alone... when she means so much to you."

Even though he had never admitted it, May knew Coulson viewed Skye as a daughter. It also wasn't a surprise the Skye saw him as a father, the foster kid in her still striving for that parental relationship she never had. Maybe May saw her like that too, but the two of them hadn't had many interactions lately. Without a second thought, Coulson smacked Quinn across the face with the gun. May's worries only grew knowing that Quinn was acting so slyly. 

"Search the house. Find her!" Coulson ordered. Fitzsimmons took the upstairs while he and Ward searched the rest of the downstairs. As the others went off.

May stayed behind for a little bit to handcuff Quinn. "If Skye is hurt in any way, shape, or form, just know that you will be paying," May whispered to him before handing him off to another agent to be put into the cage on the Bus. May then went back into the house in search of the young agent.

May looked into different rooms, trying to find the girl. May only worried that they had done something to her. Suddenly, she heard Coulson yelling from the basement. "Simmons! Get down here!" he shouted.

May froze in her place as she felt her heart drop. If Coulson was shouting in distress and the first person he calls is Simmons, who is essentially the team's medic, she knew that couldn't mean anything good. After getting out of her initial trance, May ran towards the basement. She was the last one to arrive. The sight in front of her practically froze her again. Skye was unconscious, her face had completely lost all of its color, and blood was coming from her mouth as well as soaking her nice top.

"She's been shot," Coulson exasperated. He held his hand over her abdomen, trying to slow the bleeding. 

"Keep her upright," Simmons said. She tried to maintain her exposure, but May could tell that she was having a hard time seeing her best friend in this situation.

May heard Coulson say he had no pulse and Simmons mention that there was too much blood, and she tried to remain calm. However, that seemed to be harder said than done. Skye didn't deserve this. Skye deserved to be protected. She should have been there to protect her. How could she had been so stupid to leave the young girl alone? Now, she was fighting for her life. Images flashed in May's mind. A little girl who had been shot. However, the girl in May's memories wasn't as innocent as Skye is now. May shook her head, getting her mind back to the circumstances at hand.

"Put her in there," Simmons said, looking at the tube-like device at the end of the cellar.

"Do you even know what this thing is?" Ward asked.

"It's a hyperbaric chamber, and I said put her in there now!" Simmons ordered.

Together, the team lifted Skye and set her down into the chamber. "Gentle," May said as they set her down, not wanting to aggravate the girl's wounds.

The hyperbaric chamber closed with a hiss, and her, Coulson, and Ward looked at Skye through the glass at the top as Fitz and Simmons fiddled with the functions. After a few seconds, they stepped back.

"Temperature's dropping," Fitz stated.

"Pressure stabilizing," Jemma added.

Skye showed no signs of the machine helping her. It had only been a couple seconds, but May was already feeling impatient. "Is it working?" she asked, needing to know Skye was going to be alright. 

"Is it working?!" Coulson reasked, just a little more distressed than May.

After a couple more seconds, Skye let out a small breath, showing that she was still breathing. Maybe not breathing well, but there was some ounce of breathing. "For now," Jemma answered. May finally let out the breath. For now, until they could get her proper help, Skye was alive.

With the help of other agents, they got the hyperbaric chamber into the Bus. The five remaining team members stood around the chamber. Skye was still breathing, but she was deteriorating. Simmons had taken a full analysis of Skye. "Her core temperature is hovering around forty-four degrees Fahrenheit. If we don't bring her back up to temp in the next few hours, she could sustain permanent brain damage. We need to get her to a medical facility and fast. Until then, I'll do everything I can to keep her alive. Excuse me." Simmons left the group towards the supplies. May knew that the girl was going to break down. She had gone in headfirst when she saw Skye bleeding out. She hadn't had time to fully think about it until now. She understood why Fitz went to follow her.

* * *

After a few seconds, Ward walked out to the cargo hold. May followed, closing the door from them to the lab behind her. May could see the anger in Ward's eyes. It was only a matter of time before he broke down as well. He smacked the hood of the car with a grunt.

May approached him. "It's not your fault."

"She never should have never gone down there alone."

"Blaming yourself won't help her." That was something May was trying to tell herself. There was no way of knowing that all of this was going to happen. There was no way that they would end the day with Skye's life hanging in the balance. The person who was at fault was the man who fired the bullets into her. If she tried to convince the other members of the team that it wasn't their fault, then maybe she would come to terms that she's not at fault either. 

May began to intertwine her hand into Ward's, trying to calm him down. He looked at her. "I'm not blaming myself."

May nodded, knowing that he probably just needed to be alone right now. She re-entered the lab where Coulson stood above the chamber, looking down at Skye.

"The nearest SHIELD medical facility is in Switzerland. The fastest I can get us there is two hours. I can try to go faster, but I can't make any promises."

Coulson remained silent for a few seconds. "We just need to get her somewhere now."

May nodded as she made her way towards the cockpit. She set in the coordinates as they made their way to Switzerland. Even though the sun was shining brightly, things were very dark and heavy on the Bus. May began thinking about Skye. Sure, she may have not liked Skye very much when Coulson first recruited her, but May really did come to love Skye. Her protectiveness over the girl only grew after learning about Skye's origin. She prayed that Skye would get through this. Then again, May's personality had been very similar to hers before Bahrain. May didn't want this to be Skyes Bahrain, but there was no telling what kind of trauma this could cause the young agent. She felt tears brimming in her eyes as she continued to think about Skye's life and the life she had yet to live. She shook it off as she set the coordinates. 

Silently, she made her way towards the cargo hold. She removed a panel as she reached for the phone in there. "Agent Melinda May. Log 91..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May's thoughts during 1x14 "T.A.H.I.T.I."

May had called ahead to the medical facility in Switzerland, informing them that they were coming in with an agent in critical condition. May wanted nothing more than to make Ian Quinn pay for what he had done to Skye. The image of Skye in the hyperbaric chamber replayed constantly in her mind. She felt completely helpless as Skye fought for her life. She prayed that Skye would make it out of this alright.

Luckily, May got to the medical facility in record time. Once the plane was landed, the team all rushed to help push the chamber out to the doctors. They all had pushed it to the door. Once there, Simmons and Coulson walked with the doctor, telling her everything that was going on with Skye. May, Ward, and Fitz just stood there helplessly before making their way to the waiting room.

After a couple minutes, Coulson and Simmons joined them. Ward, Simmons, and Fitz all took their seats on the chair and couch. May stood, feeling way too anxious to sit and relax. She clenched her fists, feeling so much rage towards Quinn, as she watched Coulson making calls and trying to get ahold of Fury.

"I'm here," Coulson spoke on the phone. "That's unacceptable. I need to speak to Director Fury immediately, please." There was no doubt that Coulson was getting super anxious himself. May saw the way he looked at Skye. He had begun to put himself into a father figure for her, whether he saw it or not.

"Why didn't I stop her?" Fitz asked, breaking the silence between the younger agents. "I could have..."

"As if you could stop Skye from doing anything she's set her mind to," Jemma reassured him. May nodded. It was true. Once something was on Skye's mind, she would do whatever it took to finish it or get to the bottom of it.

"I shouldn't have let her go after Quinn by herself. What was I thinking?" Fitz continued to blame himself.

"It's not your fault," Ward told him. "She shouldn't have been there. I'm her S.O. It's on me."

May sighed. The younger members of the team were shifting the blame on themselves when there was someone who was truly at fault. "The one to blame is the man who shot her, Ian Quinn," May asserted. "He's responsible." May had a slight hiss to her input, slightly showing her emotions that were getting harder to keep locked in as time passed where they didn't know how Skye was doing.

"Yes," Coulson said, still trying to get ahold of anyone who had answers. "The message is I have an agent dying, and there are questions only he can answer." Someone hung up on the other end, causing Coulson to slam his phone down on the coffee table. He took a breath, trying to keep calm. It was obvious he was struggling. They all were. Skye was truly the heart and soul of the team, and they all feared for her demise.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the doctor that had brought Skye to OR came out, hopefully with news on Skye's condition. The five remaining team members all stood from their seats, and Coulson slowly approached her. She had a rather somber look on her face, which told May that they weren't about to get good news.

"How is she?" he asked desperately.

The doctor sighed. "Not good." It was those words that sent both fear and range all throughout Melinda May. She clenched her fists once more, trying to keep calm. "The shots perforated her stomach and penetrated the large and small intestines. We resected what we could, but... there's been too much damage." May's breath became a little uneven as she heard what the doctor told them. 

"So what's next?"

"We can keep her comfortable, but you'll need to make a decision on whether or not you want to keep her on life support." So this was it? This was where Skye's journey, which had just begun, would be ending? _She didn't deserve this,_ May thought to herself.

"You're saying there's nothing to be done?" Coulson questioned, not wanting to fully accept Skye's fate.

"I'm saying to call her family," the doctor responded. "Get them here as soon as possible."

The team all looked at each other. Skye didn't have a family, but somehow, she had found her own. "We're her family," Coulson told her.

It was true, May thought. Even though Coulson's paternal instincts were more prevalent in Skye, it was clear he was quite the father figure towards Fitzsimmons and Ward. Even though she didn't want to admit it, May did feel some sort of maternal protectiveness over the team, at least that's what she believed it was. Ward was the older brother, wanting to protect his younger siblings from danger, Fitz and Jemma were the middle kids that were very close and did everything and anything together, and Skye was the little sister, always looking up to her parents and older siblings and wanting to prove that she was just as good as them. They were truly the closest thing Skye had to family.

The doctor looked at the team with a sad expression. She seemed to see the dynamic of this little field team as well as mentally discovering what Skye's past might have been like. "In that case, I'm very sorry," she said before making her way back.

Coulson was speechless. The girl he had found living in a van only just a few months ago and had grown fond of was dying, and there was potentially nothing they could do. He turned towards the team. Fitzsimmons and Ward sat back down, taking in the news. Ward was just as speechless, and both Jemma and Fitz's eyes were brimming with tears. 

It was then she remembered the man to blame. _Ian Quinn. He's responsible. He shot her when she had nothing._ Once again, her fists clenched, but this time, she let her anger take over. Without saying anything, she left the waiting room and marched her way back onto the BUS.

She went straight to the cage where they were keeping Quinn. She opened the door and stared him down. "Finally," he started. God, she found him so annoying. He was barely fazed that Skye was dying because of his actions. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten-"

Without a second thought, May slammed his head down on the table. When he rebounded, May saw his nose bleeding. She was about to do way more to him. Skye was dying. He deserved way worse than what she was facing. May dragged the chair he was sitting in right out from under him. He fell to the ground, and his arms dangled as they were still handcuffed to the little rail under the table. May remembered when they had cuffed Skye to the table. Boy, had the young agent grown and proved herself since then

"Wait! You can't!" Quinn exclaimed as May approached him once again.

With a grunt, May pulled him by the jacket. "Why?" _Why is he begging for mercy?_ "Cause your defenseless? Like she was?" _Why should you deserve mercy when you didn't give Skye any?_ May's rage had fully engulfed herself. Years of training to keep emotions under wraps was thrown out the window as soon as she was given the news that Skye, the girl she was slowly finding to have a soft spot for, was going to die. May punched Quinn. Again. And again. She let out a frustrated grunt with every hit. She watched as Quinn's face became even more bloodied and bruised; however, it never seemed enough to make up for what he did.

Her adrenaline was very high and rising. Blood rushed through her ears so loudly that she barely heard Coulson calling her name. "May!" she finally heard him call. She turned to him. He had a face that told her that he knew the feeling. He had also known May during a time when she used to let her emotions loose a little. He knew what was going through her mind. It wasn't just Skye dying. It was also the memories of Bahrain where she failed to save the little girl. She wasn't there to protect Skye. Ward was with him, and he seemed rather surprised by May's emotions. "Outside, now," Coulson demanded softly. May pushed Quinn to the ground one last time before exiting the cage.

She marched her way towards the main area of the BUS where the team relaxed. It was then that she felt wetness on her cheeks. Had she been crying? She noticed Coulson right behind her. He had seen her at emotional highs before. Why not let loose now?

"He deserves to die! Not her!" May yelled. Her breathing was irregular as the adrenaline was still high. She tried to take deep breathes, trying to calm down a little. She was supposed to be the member of the team who kept their emotions in check at all times.

"Agreed," Coulson replied. May didn't know why or how Coulson was so calm all of a sudden. It almost made her more upset. Coulson continued, "But right now, Quinn doesn't matter... only Skye does, and I need you to fly the plane."

Where could they possibly go? "You heard what the doctor said!" _Skye is going to die!_

"She said there was nothing more they could do for her," Coulson explained. "But there are doctors who brought me back from the dead. If they can do that, I'm betting they can save Skye."

By then, May's breathing was finally starting to even out, and her adrenaline began to fall. She nodded silently as she got the plane ready for take-off. Coulson was living proof that someone could be brought back to life, but she knew much more about his death and recovery than he did. However, she was determined to save Skye. _But at what cost?_

* * *

May sat in the cockpit as she put in the coordinates for Bethesda. That was where Coulson had been treated after the Battle of New York, and if anyone could possibly save Skye, it had to be the doctors there. May heard the door to the cockpit open. She continued to face the windshield of the plane was Ward took a seat in the co-pilot seat.

"Hurt much?" he asked.

She looked down at the hand she used to beat Quinn. Her knuckles were bruised and covered with dried blood, both hers and his. She clenched and unclenched it. It was a little sore, but nothing she couldn't handle. "I'm fine."

There was silence between them before Ward continued a new conversation. "Coulson told me how long he was dead." He looked to May who didn't make eye contact. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" She didn't respond, which gave him the answer to his question. "I saw Skye... in the pod., machines filtering her blood, breathing for her." May couldn't bring herself to see Skye in her state. It broke May's heart knowing that Skye's life depended on this very experimental medical practice. Skye deserved so much more than what life had given her. "I'm not sure I'd make this play," Ward finally said. "Fly halfway across the world for a second miracle.

"If Coulson thinks there's a chance in a million to save Skye, to save any of us, he'd take it," May responded. She knew where Ward was coming from, she wasn't sure how'd she play this either, but she knew Coulson and what he'd do for his family. "People like us... we need people like him." _It's people like him that keep us grounded and have faith when we're at the absolute lowest possible point._ "So yeah, it makes sense. A lot more sense than the alternative."

"You mean giving up?"

"Or killing the man responsible." She couldn't deny it, she had truly wanted to kill Quinn in the cage. Fortunately, they still had a chance to save Skye. Skye may not be dead when this was all said and done. However, if they find this second miracle, Quinn had something big coming for him.

"I did like seeing you go after Quinn," Ward admitted. "You don't open the blinds like that very often."

Suddenly, a voice came over their comm systems. _"SHIELD 616, this is tower Michael Tango. You are in violation of SHIELD directive 1297. Respond Immediately,_ the voice on the other end said. May turned to Ward, mentally asking why they would be in violation.

"Disobeying a direct order," Ward answered. "We didn't hand over Quinn."

"Great." May pressed a button to respond back. "This is SHIELD 616. How do we proceed?"

_"Prepare to be boarded and relinquish command."_ May and Ward turned to one another once again. 

_Who would be coming on this plane?_

* * *

It wasn't long before John Garrett and his agent, Antoine Triplett, who Ward referred to as Trip, boarded the BUS. May hadn't known Agent Garrett all too well. She had known he was the rather bold type, but they really only spoke in passing. However, he was well-known by two members of the team. Both he and Coulson had Nick Fury as their S.O., and Garrett had later become Ward's S.O.

It turned out that Garrett was also chasing Quinn. Thankfully, after Coulson informed Garrett of Skye's condition, Garrett had convinced the higher-ups to allow him to question Quinn on the plane while joining them on their way to Bethesda.

While Coulson and Garrett were in the cage with Quinn and Ward gave Trip a tour of the plane, Fitzsimmons had called for May. Coulson had put them in charge of reading through his files, trying to find out about anything that could possibly save Skye. "You wanted to see me?" she asked as she entered the lab.

"I just got off the phone with the trauma center in Bethesda. Dr. Streiten's gone off the grid," Jemma informed her. 

May's breath was practically caught in her throat. She had to think fast. "So we find a different doctor who operated on Coulson."

"That's the thing actually..."

"You're not making sense."

"None of this makes sense," Jemma restored. "The doctors listed, the operating room number... none of them exist. None of them are apart of SHIELD."

May was now just as confused as Fitzsimmons. How were they going to save Skye if none of this existed in the first place? May prayed for some kind of answer soon as she made her way towards Coulson's office with Simmons right behind her.

* * *

Coulson explained to May the information they were able to get out of Quinn. He had shot Skye so that the Clairvoyant could finally see where Coulson was treated and how he survived being killed. However, after discussing with Fitzsimmons, May was a little more apprehensive about the plan.

"Quinn shot Skye for nothing," May exclaimed. "The place we are going, the doctors who treated you... they don't exist."

"Or maybe they existed somewhere else," Coulson proposed. _Always the optimistic in the darkest situations,_ May thought. "This is SHIELD. There are always secrets."

"That's my fear, sir," Simmons added. "your file is full of secrets. Experimental drugs, unknown surgical procedures we've never even heard of... Frankly, Fitz and I only understand about seventy percent of what's in here." Even though seventy percent was really good, it wasn't enough to ensure Skye's life.

"Even if we do find where they treated you and we are able to replicate the procedure, there's the obvious question," May added.

"Which is?"

"Whether we should," Simmons replied. _Whether we should put alien blood in her system that could possibly drive her crazy and wished she had died,_ May told herself. "What you experienced, sir, if this file is even partially accurate..."

"No one's suggesting we submit Skye to everything that I went through, but if there's something in here... a drug, a treatment that can save her, we need to find it. Figure it out."

"Yes, sir," Jemma said as she took the files back and headed to the lab.

May sighed. "You disagree," Coulson stated.

"No. I think we need to do everything humanly possible to save Skye," May said. Skye wasn't dead yet, so she still had a chance. "But we need to acknowledge that doing so might give the Clairvoyant exactly what he wants."

"It's a risk we have to take."

May sighed before making her way back to the cockpit. On her way, she finally stopped by the med pod that Skye was in. The girl's skin was so pale. She practically looked dead. May watched as her chest slowly rose and fell with each weak breath. The heart monitor assured her that Skye's heart was still beating. "Hang in there, Skye. Just a little longer."

* * *

The team had finally made it to Bethesda. It was decided that Coulson, Garrett, Ward, and Fitz were going in while her, Trip, and Simmons stayed on the plane with Skye. May was rather glad that Trip was staying behind. The agent had med tech training and would be able to assist Simmons. It gave her relief that there were two people with medical training watching over Skye.

May watched Trip and Jemma from afar as they watched Skye from outside the pod. She could hear that they were talking about losing friends. Jemma explained to him how, even though they've only known Skye for a few months, they honestly couldn't imagine what their lives would be like without her. May also could've sworn that Trip was trying to subtly flirt with Jemma, but she was focused on thinking about what Skye meant to her.

Sure, she was rather annoying at first, and she's very impulsive and stubborn, but she was really getting to be a great agent. May could also tell that Skye yearned for any kind of affection, even if she didn't show it. May saw the brokenness in her eyes, despite her hit-headed attitude. Skye probably wanted to know what a mother's love felt like. Could she possibly fill that role? She was old enough to be her mother after all. She also found out from Ward that Fitzsimmons had a theory that Skye was actually her and Coulson's love child that they gave up and didn't want to tell her anything because they wanted to protect her. Though that was far from the truth, May didn't think she really minded if she was actually Skye's mom. There was a time where she had actually wanted to be a mom, but Bahrain happened. Maybe Skye was her second chance. Maybe. Maybe if she made it out of this alive.

After a little more time, May began to get apprehensive of the boys returning. Their comms had been disconnected for a while. Someone would have to go after them if they got into trouble. May approached the duo by the pod. "Comms are down," she informed them. "If I don't hear anything within the hour, I'm going after them."

Suddenly, they heard a loud beeping. They turned to find Skye convulsing on the gurney. "Skye's coding. Both of you, now!" Simmons ordered, now fully in doctor mode. _Skye! Not now. Please, not now._

"How can we help?" May asked desperately.

"I need a unit of Epi." Simmons placed her hands over Skye's chest as she began CPR.

"Got it," Trip replied as he injected the needle into Skye's abdomen.

It didn't take long for the three of them to get Skye stable again. They stood inside the pod, waiting for her to react again. They watched her monitors anxiously. "Weak, erratic heart rate," Jemma stated. "Each time we save her, I ask myself 'Is this what Skye would want?'"

"We didn't come this far to quit," May said, trying to spark some kind of confidence into the scientist. She had been put under so much pressure to keep her friend alive.

Suddenly, they heard static as Fitz's voice came over the comms. "Get off... the ground immediately!"

"They're alive!" Jemma said, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulder. "Maybe we can..."

Skye then started convulsing again after taking in a sharp breath. Trip went to get another needle as Jemma continued CPR.

"Fitz, what's your status?" May demanded, making her way to meet them at the cargo hold.

Fitz and Ward had quickly made their way to the lab to give Simmons the GH-325 drug. May saw the little vial as they ran, knowing full well what it contained. "May, get us off the ground before it falls out from under us!" Ward demanded over comms.

May ran to the cockpit and quickly flew off the ground as Coulson and Garrett finally made it in. ONce in the air and on autopilot, she rushed back to the pod. It had sounded like Skye was flatlining, which scared May more than she realized.

"No! Don't give it to her!" Coulson shouted as he approached. However, Simmons was already injecting it into Skye's forearm.

She turned to Coulson. "I was losing her, anyway. What harm can it do?"

Luckily, Skye was no longer flatlining. However, it didn't take long before she took in a sharp breath and began convulsing again. Everyone was now in hysterics. May stated that she was spiking while mentally pleading for it to stop. After a few seconds, Skye stopped convulsing as she collapsed back on the bed. Her heartbeat was now stable as her breathing was a little less erratic.

"Simmons?" Coulson asked, wanting to know what was going on.

"Could someone tell me what we just saw?" Ward asked.

"The girl's a fighter," Trip observed. "What was in that stuff you just gave her?"

Jemma sighed, not taking her eyes from Skye. "I don't know. All I know is that it worked."

Coulson turned to face May. He had a face that was in shock. "You did it," she told him, hoping that would relieve whatever he was feeling. Instead, he just sighed and went to his office. May then turned to Garrett. "Something happen down there?"

Garrett shook his head. "I'm not sure. One minute, he was fine. The next, it was like he had seen a ghost." _Or an alien in a tube._

* * *

After Garrett and Trip left the BUS, May made her way to Coulson's office while the others tended to Skye. Coulson sat at his desk, staring blankly at the wall. "You did the impossible today," May told him. "You saved Skye's life. Why aren't you happy about it?" Coulson didn't respond. She sighed. "They told me you were yelling... to not use the drug on Skye. Why?" _What did you see?_ "What made you change your mind?" It wasn't like Coulson to suddenly not want to save Skye.

Coulson let out a sigh before explaining. "Being down there... seeing where I came from... I just got really scared that she would suffer the way that I did. But she didn't. For whatever reason, she didn't."

It wasn't before long that Coulson sat in the pod beside Skye's bed. Skye was propped up with a few pillows, and the breathing tube that was down her throat had been replaced with a nasal cannula. The girl's face already had color returning to it, and she was breathing much better now. May watched from outside the pod. Seeing Skye improving really gave her a sense of relief.

_I'm really happy your safe now, Skye. I won't let something like this happen to you ever again._


End file.
